3rd official forum post, so forgive me if I am still a little new at this.
The Celtics come into the 2013-2014 season as a fresh young team, with new faces at every position. The team is no longer the veteran squad that was led by Pierce, Garnett, and Rivers, but now it's controlled by All star point guard Rajon Rondo, and Jeff Green as Pierces' heir. The future is bright with this young squad but we can't expect much from this team in its first year as a new unit, especially since it's all rookies, and new faces all around. Here's a list of every player currently on the Celtics roster:
PG Rajon Rondo* Avery Bradley Phil Pressey
SG Courtney Lee MarShon Brooks Jordan Crawford
SF Jeff Green Gerald Wallace Keith Bogans
PF Jared Sullinger Brandon Bass
C Kris Humphries Kelly Olynyk Vitor Faverani
The list above is from Bleacherreports article on the Celtics training camp, and predictions for the roster and starters. (
http://bleacherreport.com/articles/1785876-boston-celtics-training-camp-2013-roster-projections-team-analysis-preview)
Back-Court:
Now, they list Courtney Lee as the starting Shooting Guard and Bradley as the point until Rondo inevitable return. The biggest plusses from the depressing Brooklyn trade were the draft picks, and Marshon Brooks. He is a starting caliber scorer. If we are stuck with Avery playing point guard (which I'd rather not, and I'll go into detail after this) I think we should have Marshon starting next to him. The reason he should start is his ability to score, and play decent defense. In all fairness, Courtney Lee can be argued to be the starter, but he isn't the scorer like Brooks is, and he isn't as crafty either. The only reason he would maintain starting position is if Stevens wants to instill the defensive mentality, and doesn't want every starter to be in their first few years in the league. The first guard off the bench should be Phil Pressey. He is the only other true point guard who can be a factor through distribution. His active NBA equivalent would be Eric Maynor (whose hay-day was with the Thunder being their 6th man PG). He hasn't played a game of NBA basketball, and yet I am personally as excited to see him play as Kelly Olynyk. Eventually, if Rondo is still out, and Pressey can prove himself, he can possibly start and that would allow Bradley to move back to shooting guard. It's a long shot, but if he pans out, then Bradley can prove he deserves this extension coming up this summer. As for Crawford, and Lee, I view them as trade bait for teams that need a 3 and D, and an erratic scorer.
Front-Court:
The face of Boston is no longer with us, leaving Jeff Green to take his rightful place as the Boston Celtics starting Small Forward. He showed that 9 million dollar contract might be a steal during his 43 point outburst against Miami, and his starting role against the Knicks. That position is set in stone but the starting PF, C spot are pretty much up for grabs. Originally, Celtics fans expected Jared Sullinger to comeback healthy, and be alongside Jeff Green in the starting front-court. That all changed when he was arrested and charges were brought up against him. We are left with an unclear thought whether Sully will be with us when the season has started, and whether he will be free for basketball activity for some or most of the season. Forgive me if I might be overdoing it with the amount of time he is out, but I am bracing for the worst and hoping for the best. While his ordeals occur, if he isn't free for basketball activities, I believe Kris Humphries should take the starting power forward role because his career has been centered around that position. That will allow him to return to his form from the 2011-2012 season where he averaged almost a double double. So far we have, PG Bradley, SG Brooks, SF Green, PF Sully*, Humphries, which leaves the Center position for anyones taking. The potential ROY, Kelly Olynyk takes the job. He averaged 18, and 8 through summer league, crushing everyones suspicions whether he could handle NBA level talent and competition. He might be a rookie, but we aren't trying to hit the playoffs, and we aren't aiming for the finals. Let's be realistic, we are aiming to get that Number 1 pick, whether we admit it or not. We aren't tanking, we are simply just not going to pull it off with this squad.
Bench:
The first off the bench should be Pressey, and Wallace. Wallace will only be here for a short time, and that time will be used to rest Jeff, and stall the game long enough for him to make an impression, and then get out. Pressey is what will have a bigger role as the season progresses. Brandon Bass and Vitor Faverani will come in about the same time to take the front-court and keep the pace of the game. Faverani has to prove that his game can translate to the NBA, while Bass is always going to be the 12, and 8 player he's been. The bench will be stable, and the rest of the players will be playing for scrap minutes like Mikey Moore did years ago. Luckily for them, we have a new coach who will be trying to gauge and figure who can do what, and when.
Overall, I think this team will get better as the year goes on. This year is a bridge for this coming offseason. We will land a top 10 (pray for top 3) pick, and will be able to trade picks, and contracts to land a top free agent through free agency, or through a trade (sign and trade also). We are evaluating how much this team will need Rondo and Green, and whether we can depend on Bradley and/or Brooks to step up offensively. I figure our record will be that around 20-28 wins due to Rondo missing anywhere to 20-30 games, and him getting used to the newcomers. I prefer the situation where we land a top pick because more players become expendable, and allow us to trade the assets for a bigger piece for what can become a title team. It's going to be a long but fun season.
Thanks for the read, and have a great day.
Topic: Ideal Boston Celtics 2013-14 Line-up (Read 2541 times)